Packing box for throttle-valve stems



R. A. SJOQUIST.

PAGKING BOX FOR THROTTLE VALVE STEMS.

APPLiCATlON FILED AUG-20.1918.

1,407,35Q, Patented Feb. 21, 1922 WITNESSES: IN VEN T R.

RICHARD A. SJ'OQUIST; 0F EIBBING, MINNESOTA.

PACKING BOX FOR THROTTLE-VALVE SEEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 211, 31922.

Application filed August 20, 1918. Serial No. 250,632.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, RICHARD A. SJooUIsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hibbing, in the county of St, Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packing Boxes for Throttle-Valve Stems, of which I do hereby declare the following to be a specification.

My invention relates to packing box for throttle valve stems, and has for its object the provision of a packing box which may be repacked without materially reducing the boiler pressure or drawing the fire. Heretofore, when it has been necessary to repack the throttle rod of a locomotive at the point of its passage through the end of the boiler, it has been customary to stop the engine,

draw the fire and reduce the steam pressure,-

so that when the packing gland is removed the steam will not blow into the cab and scald the engineer or repairman. Such customary method requires the withdrawal of the locomotive from service for an hour or more, While by the use of my invention the locomotive need not, under favorable con ditions, be withdrawn at all from service during the repacking operation.

My invention consists of the constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, the figure is a central vertical longitudinal section of my invention, partly in side elevation and partly roken away. I

In the drawings, '1, is the end plate of a locomotive boiler; 2 is a housing mounted on said plate and preferably extending therethrough. Extending through said boiler plate and housing is a throttle rod preferably comprising a plurality of sections as 3, 3 connected to each other Within theboiler by a coupling block 3 of any suitable structure. Mounted in the inner end of said housing and preferably encircling said rod but spaced therefrom is a spacing ring 4-, which ring is provided at one end as at 4 1 with an external thread adapted to engage theinternally threaded inner end of said housing, said spacing ring having a shoulder or flange 4 formed thereon at its free end which flange is preferably adapted to bear against the end of said housing, the peripher of said flange being preferabl threa ed to en age a coupling (not shown of any suitais testing apparatus {not shown) which may be employed to test said invention before putting it into use on the locomotive or engine. Formed in or secured to said spacing ring at its flanged end and surrounding said rod is a valve seat 5 adapted to engage a valve plug 6 formed on or preferably secured to sa1d rod coupling block 3 The opposite end of said spacing ring is internally threaded to engage a nipple 7 formed on the inward end of a packing floor 7 surrounding said rod within said housing' Extending into the outer end of said housing is a packing gland 9 adapted to compress packing 59 of any suitable kind of structure in the space between said gland and said packing floor.

Said gland may, if desired, be provided with a bushing 9 of any suitable material preferably flanged at its inward end as at 9 with a port 12 extending through said hous ing to the outer end thereof, preferably to point at the periphery of said outer end. A drip cook 13 is inserted in the outer end of said port 12 for the purpose of opening or closing said port at that end.

The outward end of said rod is connected to any suitable form of operating lever, as to a lever comprising a fork 14: connected to said rod and provided with a peripherally toothed segment 14, a handle 14- pivotally connected intermediate of the ends to said fork and at one end to one end of an anchor bar 14 which bar is pivoted at its opposite end to an ear 14 secured to said boiler; a dog 14 slidably mounted on the free end of said handle and adapted to engage said segment; a spring 14v for normally holding said dog in engagement with said segment; and a lever 14' pivotally mounted on said handle and connected by a link 14* with said dog for retracting the same.- The opposite or inner end of said rod (broken away and not shown} is connected to the throttle vdlve om shown) as is well mean to the era An adjustable or removable stop of any suitable structure, as a pin 15 adapted to be inserted in a transversely directed aperture in said segment and to engage said handie, is provided for preventing the outward movement of said rod to the full-extent of its operative travel and to thus prevent the valve plug 6 from contacting with. its seat under normal conditions,thereby saving wear on said valve plug and valve seat. Recesses 16 are provided in certain parts of said structure for engaging a wrench whereby they may be assembled or disconnected A jainb nut 17 ispreferably mounted on said rod and adapted to bear against said block.

In the repacking operation, said stop 15 is first removed and the throttle opened to its full extent, thus bringing the plug 6 of the packing box valve against its seat 5 where it will be retained by the boiler pressure. If it is desired to stop the engine, it should be stopped and the reverse lever set at center and the brakes applied before the repacking operation is begun; otherwise, under favorable conditions the engine may continue running. After opening the throttle valve wide a and thus closing the packing box valve, the

drip cock should be opened to ascertain whether there is, any leakage of steam. past the packing box valve, in which event .the leaking steam would find its way to the drip cock through the ports 11 and tunnel 12. If a material leakage is thus discovered, danger-in removing the gland is indicated and if not already stopped the engine should be stopped and the fires drawn and steam pressure be materially. reduced before removing the packing gland. If, however, no material leakage is observed at the drip cock, the gland may be removed while the engine is running. or--without drawing the fires-while the engine is stationary with reverse lever on center. If the old packing sticks and is diflicult to remove it may be started by opening the packing box valve a mere trifle and admitting steam behind the packing and immediately closing the packing box valve again.- The rod may then be repacked. The valve plug and valve seat are preferably made of brass to avoid adherence of scale, and the packing floor and gland .bushing are also preferably made of brass to reduce wear on the throttle rod. If any scale accumulates in the space between the .spacing ring and the rod, it may usually be blown out through the drip cock, or through a drill hole 12 communicating with said tunnelv 12, which drill hole will normally be closed by a plug 12. The throttle lever segment 'lAP'may if desired be modified or extended and mounted on an independent stationary support of any suitable structure as on said boiler plate, as is well known to the art, and it is obvious that the structure embodying my invention may spirit and scope of certain of my claims.

What I claim is:

The combination with one wall of a fluid pressure container, of a stationary packing box extending. through said wall, a throttle valve stem extending through said box into said container, said box being provided at its be modified in various particulars within the forward end with a valve seat, a valve upon fsaid stem within said container, said valve being adapted to be retracted by said stem to said seat when said throttle is opened to its full extent, said packing box containing a chamber for packing, said box containing a scale trapping chamber between the forward end of said packing chamber and the rearward end of said seat, said trapping chamber being positioned forward of any point of contact between said stem and said box, said box having a blow-out port formed therein extending from said packing chamber to the outer end of said packing box, and means for normally closing said port. In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature, in presence of three witnesses.

RICHARD A. SJOQUIST.

Witnesses:

JAMES T. WATSON, BERNARD SJDQUIST, En'w. TATRo. 

